Poplar Elementary

Poplar Elementary operates as an average-sized elementary campus in Fontana, California, part of Fontana Unified. Current enrollment sits at 450 students spanning grades K through 6.

Fontana Unified runs 44 schools in total, collectively educating 32,735 students. Poplar Elementary is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Poplar Elementary lists that nearly all students (95%) are Hispanic; the rest reads as 2% White. By comparison, San Bernardino County as a whole is about 55% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Poplar Elementary lists 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 20.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Poplar Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 88% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is higher than San Bernardino County's rate of about 74%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Poplar Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 26.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 32.5%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for San Bernardino County put median household earnings sit near $85,478, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, San Bernardino County runs 583 public schools (combined enrollment of about 393,648 students), of which Poplar Elementary is one.

Harry S. Truman Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Poplar Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Poplar Elementary at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 28.3%.

Poplar Elementary operates from an outer-ring location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 27%: 613 students in 2018 compared to 450 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 22.9:1 in 2018 to 20.0:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.